


In Sickness & In Health

by avengersincamphalfbloodstardis



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Caretaking, Fluff, M/M, Napping, Sick Character, Sick Tony, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-20 19:58:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17628704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avengersincamphalfbloodstardis/pseuds/avengersincamphalfbloodstardis
Summary: After coming home from a business trip, Tony winds up with a case of the sniffles. Steve nurses him back to health, if nursing includes keeping Tony tucked in too tight for him to attempt to keep working.





	In Sickness & In Health

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fanfictionwriterinprogress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanfictionwriterinprogress/gifts).



> This is a gift for [madman-with-a-snogbox](https://madman-with-a-snogbox.tumblr.com)/[fanfictionwriterinprogress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanfictionwriterinprogress) as a pinch hit for [Marvel Gift Exchange](https://marvelgiftexchange.tumblr.com/)! I'm so sorry that this is coming later than it ought to, but I hope you enjoy it now! It was really fun to write:)  
> From this prompt:  
> Steve/Tony. Teen. MCU. Tony overworked whump + sickness, and steve taking care of him.

The bed made an odd  _ fwumph _ of a noise as Tony simply fell forward onto it face first. Steve was jostled slightly as he sat with his back against the headboard, feet stretched out in front of him, with a book in his hand.

“I am,” Tony said, face against the blankets, which made it slightly difficult to hear him, but not impossible. “The latest Starkphone generation.”

“Hmm,” Steve answered mildly, setting his book aside. “Explain.”

“Overworked and underappreciated.”

“Ah,” Steve bent down and kissed the back of Tony’s head. “And who is overworking and underappreciating you?”

“The better question is who  _ isn’t  _ overworking and underappreciating me.” Tony rolled over and looked up at Steve. “Besides you.”

“Besides me,” Steve agreed, a smile tugging at his lips, though he tried to tamp it down so he could continue humoring his boyfriend. “Of course.”

Seeming to have realized he was in fact being humored, Tony opened his mouth to respond with something most likely extremely snarky, and promptly sneezed.

Thankfully, Steve was leaned back far enough to be out of the blast zone. “Bless you.”   


Again attempting to respond, Tony sneezed again.

“Geez,” Steve said, getting up to get Tony a tissue. “I hope you’re not getting sick.”   


“I don’t get sick,” Tony informed him, accepting the tissue.

***

Later that evening, tucked up in bed, covers swirled around him to the point that only his red nose poked out like he was some sort of petulant caterpillar, Tony may have had to acquiesce that he  _ might  _ be just the  _ tiniest _ bit sick.

Maybe.

“Here we go,” Steve said, walking into the room with a tray set up with chicken noodle soup, hot tea and orange juice. “Can you sit up sweetheart?”

With a little sigh, Tony wriggled valiantly, working himself into something more akin to a slump than actually sitting upright, but it would do.

Steve said beside him, situating the tray over Tony’s legs and putting a hand to Tony’s forehead. 

“Your fever seems to be about the same,” he said, picking up the spoon and dipping it into the soup. “But it’s about time for more medicine so that should help.”   


Tony blinked at him from under his blanket hood. “I don’t think I need more medicine.”   


“Just because it doesn’t taste good doesn’t mean you don’t need it,” Steve told him, blowing on the spoonful of soup.

“But it’s cherry,” Tony whined before accepting the spoonful.

“I had Natasha go get you some mixed berry flavor.”   


“Oh,” Tony said, considering this. “Fine.”   


Steve hid a smile and fed Tony more of the soup. “And after this it’s back to sleep.”

Tony huffed. “Can I at least have my StarkPad? I need to work through a few schematics before tomorrow.”

“Weren’t you the one who was just complaining about being overworked?” Steve asked him, thumb brushing over Tony’s goatee for a stray drop of broth.

“I don’t recall,” Tony said, eyes doing an admirable job of portraying innocence. 

Steve snorted. “Lucky for you, I do.”

“Oh yes,” Tony said, swallowing another spoonful. “How lucky I am that my boyfriend remembers everything I say and reminds me of it at such useful times.”   


“That’s what I strive to be,” Steve said, not bothering to hide his smile anymore. “Useful.”

“Useful indeed.” Tony gave him a sly grin that looked slightly ridiculous as his red nose was currently runny in a very gross, still adorable way. His woolen sock clad feet moved up and rubbed insistently at Steve’s thigh.

Steve glanced down at them. “And just what do you think you’re doing?”

Tony waggled his eyebrows, his toes running up Steve’s thigh in an entirely unsexy way, his legs working out of his cocoon. “Nothin’”

A cough worked his way up Tony’s throat immediately after his coy play.

Steve snorted and bent down to kiss Tony’s nose briefly before moving back. “Nice try pal, but you need sleep.”

Attempting a protest and simply coughing more in return, Tony huffed and fell back into the fluffed up pillows behind him. “Now how about that StarkPad?”

Steve simply laughed and tucked him in.

***

After checking on a  _ supposed  _ to be sleeping Tony and discovering him with his runny nose two inches from his StarkPad screen, Steve had decided Tony needed a nap partner. He wrestled the tablet away from his boyfriend, a more difficult feat than anticipated, what with Tony’s cold and his own superstrength, before setting up on his own side of the bed.

Tony, newly tucked back in, far tighter this time to prevent any sneakery, pouted at him for an impressive four minutes before his eyes slowly fluttered shut. His breathing slowed, his lips popping open slightly.

Satisfied, Steve turned his attention to his book, the only noise in the room the sound of Tony’s soft breath and the pages crinkling as Steve turned them. It was comforting, sitting like this, assured that Tony was resting, and taken care of.

“Steve?”

Surprised, Steve looked down at Tony. His eyes were closed, though his breathing had changed.

“Yeah sweetheart?” Steve answered, setting his book aside.

“I know you can’t really get sick,” Tony said softly, not opening his eyes, still looking as though he were sleeping. “Not like with a cold or anything, like I can. But if you could, I’d take care of you too. You know that right?”

Something more meaningful underlaid Tony’s words than just the assurance of nursing Steve through the sniffles. Steve smiled softly, smoothing the covers out around Tony. “Yeah, I know that.”

“In sickness and in health, and all that,” Tony said with a little sniffle, rubbing his cheek against the pillow.

“That’s for married couples sweetheart,” Steve said softly, continuing to fix Tony’s blankets.

“Yeah,” Tony agreed, then yawned, breathing once again slowing.

Warmth swelled in Steve’s chest and he beamed down at Tony, who was slowly falling back into his slumber.

He leaned down, smoothing Tony’s hair back and kissing his forehead gently.

“You  _ are _ underappreciated,” he murmured against Tony’s skin, fingers carding through Tony’s damp hair. “But I hope I make up a little of that. I try to.”

Though Steve couldn’t see it, the corners of Tony’s lips flickered into a contented smile, his fingers slipping out of his little cocoon to hold tightly to Steve’s t-shirt, and he curled into Steve with a soft sigh, slipping into a much needed sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Come say hi to me on [tumblr](http://avengersincamphalfbloodstardis.tumblr.com/)


End file.
